Following the APV’s decarbonization commitments, we delivered an engineering project comprising two digital transformer substations to connect their new self-consumption photovoltaic installation.

We assisted the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) in its decarbonization plan to become an emissions-neutral port in the near future. One of the projects undertaken was the installation of a solar photovoltaic generation plant on the roof of the vehicle silo at its east dock.

At Ormazabal, we participated by providing our own technology to step up the voltage generated at low voltage in the solar panels to the medium voltage required to feed and connect to the port’s existing electrical grid.

For this, we contributed all our expertise—both in engineering services and in manufacturing—supplying two factory-assembled, surface-mounted prefabricated transformer substations, models pfu.5 and pfu.7, equipped with CGM Cosmos switchgear up to 24 kV, Ekor.RPA electronic control, protection and communication devices, and BT/MT step-up transformers type transforma.dis (three at 1250 kVA and one at 1600 kVA), all using biodegradable organic dielectric fluid. We also delivered an empty pfu.5 enclosure to house low-voltage equipment supplied by the client.

A tailor-made solution for a challenging installation

Besides meeting the technical requirements and the client’s needs, we faced the challenge of installing the two transformer substations under the roof of Terminal Europa’s vehicle parking building. Access was extremely limited and there wasn’t enough headroom for standard cranes, so we deployed all our skills to meet these constraints.

The solution involved designing a steel structure to support each prefabricated enclosure. Our Uniblok transformer-substation factory engineers collaborated with a local supplier. The structure had to bear the full weight of the enclosure and enable lifting and lowering of the entire assembly. We then used hydraulic trolleys, provided by our local partner Grúas Rigar, to move the transformer-structure assembly from outside into the building’s ground floor. Finally, hydraulic jacks allowed us to achieve the precision required for the final placement.

With this project, Ormazabal has aligned with the Port of Valencia’s decarbonization target and overcome unusual technical constraints thanks to an expert, multidisciplinary team of professionals.